The fourth edition of the Bilbao Masters Final was this year split between Sao Paulo in Brazil and Bilbao in Spain. The six-player double-roundrobin was exceptionally strong, featuring all three players currently rated over 2800 and the top ranked players from the Ukraine, USA and Spain. However the faster time limit of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 60 minutes and 10 seconds per move for the rest of the game meant time trouble errors were more common than usual for elite events. This plus the ban on draw offers and the scoring system of 3 for a win and 1 for a draw made for many decisive results. At the end of the first half in Sao Paulo, the mercurial Ukrainian, Vassily Ivanchuk lead on 10 points. Despite then being mugged outside is hotel and delayed in Brazil, Ivanchuk managed to win his next game against his closest rival Hikaru Nakamura of the USA. However his scoring slowed after that and world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway caught up by beating Ivanchuk in the penultimate round. The pair finished tied for first on 15 points with Carlsen winning the blitz playoff to take first prize. They were followed on 12 points by Nakamura, Levon Aronian (Armenia) and a subdued world champion, Vishwanathan Anand (India). Last was outclassed Francisco Vallejo-Pons (Spain) on 10. Today's game is the exciting and critical ninth round victory by Carlsen (White) over Ivanchuk.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.Qxc3 Ne4 8.Qc2 f5 9.g3 Nf6 10.Bh3!? ---
Deviating from 10 Bg2 in Rossen-Hansen 2004 with a more aggressive move seeking complications from this Nimzo Indian Three Knights variation. He judges Black will not choose to part with his remaining bishop leaving White with two, just to double the f-pawns. 10.--- O-O 11.O-O a5 12.Rd1 Qe8 13.d5! ---
The point is that Black can't capture on d5 without losing his f-pawn and opening up his kingside. 13.--- Na6 14.Bf4 exd5
An interesting alternative is 14...Qh5!? when 15 Kg2?! Ng4 looks good for Black, but after 15 Bg2 exd5 16 Nd4! there are great complications E.g. 16...Ne4 17 cxd5 Bxd5 18 Nxf5! Qxf5 19 Rxd5! Qxd5 20 Bxe4 Qe6 when White can restore material equality with 21 Bxa8 or attack with 21 Rd1!? c6 22 Bxh7+. 15.Bxf5 dxc4 16.Ng5! Qh5
There was no way to hold both h7 and d7. E.g 16... h6? 17 Bxd7! and the bishop is immune. 17.Rxd7! Kh8
Taking the rook loses the queen to 17 Nxd7? 18 Bxh7+ Kh8 19 Bg6 Qg4 20 f3. 18.Re7 Nd5 19.Bg4 Qg6 20.Nf7+?! ---
White has a comfortable advantage after 20 Qxg6 hxg6 21 Rf7, but with a seemingly overwhelming position he looks for more. 20.--- Kg8 21.Bf5 Qxf5!
Carlsen admitted afterwards he had overlooked this – the only defence since 21...Qh5 22 g4 Qh3 23 Ng5 Qh4 24 Be6+ Kh8 25 Nf7+ Kg8 26 Bg3! wins the queen or mates. 22.Qxf5 Nxe7 23.Nh6+! ---
The saving resource. Although Black has the nominal material advantage of a rook and two knights for the queen, his exposed king and weak pawns make life very difficult and the practical chances favour White. 23.--- gxh6 24.Qg4+ Ng6 25.Bxh6 Rf7 26.Rd1 Re8 27.h4 Nc5 28.h5 Bc8 29.Qxc4 Ne5 30.Qh4! Nc6
Having picked off two pawns White is still creating dangerous threats while the black pieces struggle for co-ordination. The threat here was 31 Rd8 forcing the knight from its central post. 31.Rd5 Ne6 32.Qc4 ---
With both sides running short of time White misses a long forcing continuation: 32 Qa4! Bb7 33 Qg4+ Ng7 34 Rg5 Ree7 35 f4! Kh8 (or 35 ...Nd4 36 f5! Nxf5 37 Rxf5 Rxf5 38 Bxg7 Rxg7 39 Qxf5) 36 Bxg7! Rxg7 37 h6 Rxg5 38 Qxg5 Rf7 39 Qd5 Kg8 40 b4! and Black is paralysed and helpless against the threat of b4-b5 winning a piece. 32.--- Ncd8?
But Black finally blunders under the pressure, cutting off the defence of the bishop. 32...Nb8 kept the game alive. 33.Qg4+ Ng7
Or 33...Kh8 34 Bd2! Nb7 35 h6! and Black will have to lose a piece to stop the check on the long diagonal. 34.Qxc8 Resigns
World number one affirms dominance
Problem: White to play and mate in 5.
The fourth edition of the Bilbao Masters Final was this year split between Sao Paulo in Brazil and Bilbao in Spain. The six-player double-roundrobin was exceptionally strong, featuring all three players currently rated over 2800 and the top ranked players from the Ukraine, USA and Spain. However the faster time limit of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 60 minutes and 10 seconds per move for the rest of the game meant time trouble errors were more common than usual for elite events. This plus the ban on draw offers and the scoring system of 3 for a win and 1 for a draw made for many decisive results.
At the end of the first half in Sao Paulo, the mercurial Ukrainian, Vassily Ivanchuk lead on 10 points. Despite then being mugged outside is hotel and delayed in Brazil, Ivanchuk managed to win his next game against his closest rival Hikaru Nakamura of the USA. However his scoring slowed after that and world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway caught up by beating Ivanchuk in the penultimate round. The pair finished tied for first on 15 points with Carlsen winning the blitz playoff to take first prize. They were followed on 12 points by Nakamura, Levon Aronian (Armenia) and a subdued world champion, Vishwanathan Anand (India). Last was outclassed Francisco Vallejo-Pons (Spain) on 10.
Today's game is the exciting and critical ninth round victory by Carlsen (White) over Ivanchuk.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Bb4
4.Nf3 b6
5.Qc2 Bb7
6.a3 Bxc3+
7.Qxc3 Ne4
8.Qc2 f5
9.g3 Nf6
10.Bh3!? ---
Deviating from 10 Bg2 in Rossen-Hansen 2004 with a more aggressive move seeking complications from this Nimzo Indian Three Knights variation. He judges Black will not choose to part with his remaining bishop leaving White with two, just to double the f-pawns.
10.--- O-O
11.O-O a5
12.Rd1 Qe8
13.d5! ---
The point is that Black can't capture on d5 without losing his f-pawn and opening up his kingside.
13.--- Na6
14.Bf4 exd5
An interesting alternative is 14...Qh5!? when 15 Kg2?! Ng4 looks good for Black, but after 15 Bg2 exd5 16 Nd4! there are great complications E.g. 16...Ne4 17 cxd5 Bxd5 18 Nxf5! Qxf5 19 Rxd5! Qxd5 20 Bxe4 Qe6 when White can restore material equality with 21 Bxa8 or attack with 21 Rd1!? c6 22 Bxh7+.
15.Bxf5 dxc4
16.Ng5! Qh5
There was no way to hold both h7 and d7. E.g 16... h6? 17 Bxd7! and the bishop is immune.
17.Rxd7! Kh8
Taking the rook loses the queen to 17 Nxd7? 18 Bxh7+ Kh8 19 Bg6 Qg4 20 f3.
18.Re7 Nd5
19.Bg4 Qg6
20.Nf7+?! ---
White has a comfortable advantage after 20 Qxg6 hxg6 21 Rf7, but with a seemingly overwhelming position he looks for more.
20.--- Kg8
21.Bf5 Qxf5!
Carlsen admitted afterwards he had overlooked this – the only defence since 21...Qh5 22 g4 Qh3 23 Ng5 Qh4 24 Be6+ Kh8 25 Nf7+ Kg8 26 Bg3! wins the queen or mates.
22.Qxf5 Nxe7
23.Nh6+! ---
The saving resource. Although Black has the nominal material advantage of a rook and two knights for the queen, his exposed king and weak pawns make life very difficult and the practical chances favour White.
23.--- gxh6
24.Qg4+ Ng6
25.Bxh6 Rf7
26.Rd1 Re8
27.h4 Nc5
28.h5 Bc8
29.Qxc4 Ne5
30.Qh4! Nc6
Having picked off two pawns White is still creating dangerous threats while the black pieces struggle for co-ordination. The threat here was 31 Rd8 forcing the knight from its central post.
31.Rd5 Ne6
32.Qc4 ---
With both sides running short of time White misses a long forcing continuation: 32 Qa4! Bb7 33 Qg4+ Ng7 34 Rg5 Ree7 35 f4! Kh8 (or 35 ...Nd4 36 f5! Nxf5 37 Rxf5 Rxf5 38 Bxg7 Rxg7 39 Qxf5) 36 Bxg7! Rxg7 37 h6 Rxg5 38 Qxg5 Rf7 39 Qd5 Kg8 40 b4! and Black is paralysed and helpless against the threat of b4-b5 winning a piece.
32.--- Ncd8?
But Black finally blunders under the pressure, cutting off the defence of the bishop. 32...Nb8 kept the game alive.
33.Qg4+ Ng7
Or 33...Kh8 34 Bd2! Nb7 35 h6! and Black will have to lose a piece to stop the check on the long diagonal.
34.Qxc8 Resigns
1-0
Solution: 1 Re8+ Rxe8 2 Rxe8+ Kg7 3 Qf8+ Kf6 4 Re6+ Kxf5 5 Qxf7#.